Langohr Avenue

This home, built in the 1970’s, was in need of an exterior upgrade. The original wood channel siding was warped, cracked and cupped. The windows had broken hardware that would not allow for proper opening and closing and the deck off the back of the house was rotten and in need of replacing. A proper structure was never built for the front door entry. What was there was a lopsided, pitted and cracked concrete stoop that was sinking into the ground.
Some of these problems could have been avoided. Wood on the exterior of a house can last for decades when prepared and maintained properly. Many times, in new construction, wood, be it siding, trim or decking, is not properly “back primed” to cover all four sides of the board. This helps keep moisture out and adds to the longevity of the wood. Also, all too often, once the siding, trim and decking are installed, a second coat is applied after the original job has been neglected for too long.

We replaced the siding with HardiPlank fiber cement lap. This is a great product that can be installed and painted any color you wish. It can also come with a “pre finish” that is applied at the factory. This product is warranted for thirty years. When it is time to repaint, it can be coated again with regular exterior latex paint. In the gable end above the garage doors, we used cedar shingles. These were individually dipped in stain before being installed. This allowed for good protection of the cedar and a uniform look. The soffit and fascia were replaced with rough­sawn cedar. Along with the shingles, this added a nice­looking complement to the lap siding.
The windows were replaced with Andersen Gliding 100 series. Andersen has been making windows in St. Croix, Minnesota for over one hundred years and this is a durable product from a company that stands behind it. The front door is made of fiberglass and painted.

A front entry porch adds nice curb appeal and the shed roof offers protection from the elements when entering the home. Like the deck on the rear of the home, it was framed with exposed rough­sawn douglas fir rafters and posts, cedar railing and Trex decking. The porch and deck railing posts Were capped with a decorative cast iron cover. A rusty patina forms after a few weeks in the weather. The curved steps leading to the porch are poured concrete.

The homeowners now have an inviting entryway as well as a beautiful exterior. Additionally, the home is now weather tight.